This invention relates to adjustable eye glass frames, and more particularly to adjustable eye glass frames having telescoping ear pieces.
Today, millions of people wear eye glasses, not only to correct vision, but also to filter sunlight, and for safety when working in factories, for example. The two most important aspects of making a usable pair of glasses are the proper grind of the lenses, and the proper sizing of the frame. Although adults usually have minor difficulty in finding proper frames, this is not always the case, especially when the glasses are used on a worksite for safety reasons. These glasses can be used with many different employees and will tend to be difficult to fit the vast majority of employees. A much larger problem arises when glasses are needed for children. Since children grow quickly, it is possible that a child may outgrow a frame in less than one year. Constantly upsizing glass frames can become expensive.
In the past, several attempts to provide means of adjusting frames have been patented. U.S. Pat. No. 1,252,126, to Letzeisen discloses a frame having a wire temple. The temple was slidably attached to the frame with a locking adjusting screw. This adjusting screw can be loosened to allow the temple to slide back and forth until the desired length of temple is found. The nut can then be locked in place, restraining the temple. U.S. Pat. No. 1,841,052 to Pollmiller, U.S. Pat. No. 1,751,804 to Fischer, U.S. Pat. No. 2,503,275 to Klienman, and U.S. Pat. No. 2,856,813 to Kudelko all disclose eye glass adjusters utilizing some type of adjusting screw mechanism to adjust the temples. In these patents, the temples are fitted with an adjusting screw portion fitted into a threaded portion. As the adjusting screw is turned, the earpiece is either extended or retracted from the temple. Typically, these devices include some type of locking mechanism to provide the temple from moving thereby changing the distance setting. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,584,938 and 4,153,346 disclose an alternate means of adjusting the temples. These devices utilize sliding bars having discrete position settings to make the adjustments. In these devices, the temple is held with a pin that secures the bar. The pin is then removed, the bar either extended or retracted until a new set position is aligned with the pin hole, and the pin is replaced.
The biggest drawback to all of these decives is that they all must be adjusted when they are off of the wearer's head. This requires the wearer or the fitter to place the frame on the wearer's head, check the fit, remove the frame, make an adjustment, check the fit, remove the frame, make adjustments and so on.
Another drawback of the fixed slide-pin devices is that the pins provide fixed sizes which limit their use in many cases and will not provide exact fits in many cases.
A secondary problem related to proper fit deals with ear piece and nose pad construction. Typically, these components are made of hard plastic. Occasionally, they may be padded either directly, or with stick on pads. Ill fitting ear pieces and nose pads leave unsightly marks on the nose, and can lead to sores on the ears.
It is an object of this invention to provide adjustable glasses that can be adjusted while the user is wearing them.
It is another object of this invention to provide adjustable glasses that do not have excessively sized or weighted temples as a result of the addition of the adjusting mechanism.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide an adjustment means for glasses that is totally concealed.
It is yet a further object of this invention to produce adjustable glasses having adjustment means that do not interfere with the operation of the temple hinges.
It is yet a further object of this invention to produce adjustable glasses that have a self locking adjustment mechanism.
It is yet a further object of this invention to produce adjustable glasses having body conforming ear pieces and nose pads to maximize fit and comfort for the user.